The verified answer
As of Aug 2026, DEPLOY verifies Tier IV: 1 model, 1 active incident.
CategoryRobotaxis
Overview
TIER IV is a Japanese deep-tech company and the primary commercial force behind Autoware, the world's first open-source software stack for autonomous driving. Founded in December 2015 by Shinpei Kato, the company builds scalable platforms and delivers end-to-end solutions spanning software development, vehicle manufacturing, and service operations for Level 4 autonomous mobility.
TIER IV has deployed autonomous buses, taxis, and trucks across Japan and internationally, and is a founding member of the Autoware Foundation. Strategic investors include Yamaha Motor, Sony, KDDI, and SOMPO Holdings. Products include Pilot.Auto, Web.Auto, and an automotive-grade autonomous driving kit (ADK).
Verified record
- Verified deployments
- None on file
- Active incidents
- 1 incident on file
Key facts
CEO
Founded
IPO
Total fundingsee investors →
Capital
Employees
Key investors
Tier IV on the deployment map
View the global mapTier IV has no verified deployments on the DEPLOY registry yet. Explore the deployment map by place and type.
No verified deployments for Tier IV on the DEPLOY record yet. Track Tier IV to know the moment the first one is verified.
Relationships
Current leadership (4)
- Shinpei Kato Founder, Founder & CEO
- Yoshihito Takashima Chief Technology Officersecondary-verified
- Satoshi Sakaguchi CFOsecondary-verified
- Ko Miyoshi COOsecondary-verified
Founders (1)
Safety record
Only active incidents are counted. Retracted incidents are excluded from this summary but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.
Full safety record: incidents, sourcing, and exposure data →
Incidents affecting Tier IV (1)
- TIER IV autonomous bus rear-ended by public bus during Kumamoto test run2025-01-30 · Collision
via Autoware
Includes incidents linked directly to this company, to its models, or to deployments of its models or under its operation. Retracted incidents are excluded from this view but remain reachable at their canonical URLs.
Brains developed (1)
- Autowareframework · production · open
Recent coverage
Tier IV in third-party press
Financial state
- Reporting basis
- private_reported
- Lifecycle stage
- growth
- Counterparty risk class
- low
Each numeric field carries its own basis marker. Aggregators report a number; this surface preserves the source class so verification depth travels with the value.
Partnerships (6)
- TIER IV x NVIDIA (autonomous driving) with NVIDIA Corporationtechnology
- TIER IV x JR Central (Capital Alliance) with Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central)investment
- TIER IV x Isuzu Motors with Isuzu Motors Limiteddeployment
- TIER IV x Isuzu x Mitsubishi Fuso (Autonomous Trucks) with Isuzu Motors, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus, Yamato Multi Charter, Suzuyo Cargo-Netdevelopment
- TIER IV x Yamaha Motor (eve autonomy JV) with Yamaha Motor, eve autonomyjoint venture
- TIER IV x Astemo (E2E autonomous driving) with Astemo (Hitachi)developmentannouncedreported, not operationally verified
Funding rounds (3)
Tier IV’s 3 disclosed rounds, $373M in total, oldest to newest.
- IPO2026-07-22
$141M(reported)
- Series B2024-06-17
$132M(reported)
- Series A2019-07-03
$100M(reported)
Investors: Sompo Japan Nipponkoa (lead), Yamaha Motor, KDDI Corporation, JAFCO, Aisan Technology
Recent activity
Every change to this record is dated, sourced, and independently verified where marked.
- Record createdAug 9, 2026
Added to the verified registry
- Deployment recordedApr 27, 2025
Autoware at Shin-Tomei Expressway, Japan
- Deployment recordedMar 21, 2025
Autoware at Kumamoto, Japan
- Incident recordedJan 30, 2025
TIER IV autonomous bus rear-ended by public bus during Kumamoto test run
- Deployment recordedNov 1, 2024
Autoware at Tokyo, Japan
Common questions
What is Tier IV?
What does Tier IV make?
Who is the CEO of Tier IV?
Where is Tier IV headquartered?
Where does Tier IV operate robots?
Is Tier IV a top robotics company?
When was Tier IV founded?
Are there any incidents involving Tier IV?
Is Tier IV safe?
Methodology: Claimed (not independently verified) · no sources on file · last reviewed 2026-08-09
Verification posture
Claimed (not independently verified)
Low confidence
Review state
Stable
Last reviewed 2026-08-09
The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.
Methodology surface for Tier IV.In the press
Recent coverage mentioning Tier IV from third-party publications. Automatically surfaced; not part of the verified registry record.
Autonomous driving tech firm TIER IV in landmark Japan IPO
TIER IV completed a JPY 23.2 billion (USD 141 million) global IPO and listing on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market, with Anderson Mori & Tomotsune and Mori Hamada & Matsumoto…
Matching Mechanism for the First Day of Listing: TIER IV,Inc.
TIER IV listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange Growth Market on July 22, 2026, under ticker 593A, with a public offering price of JPY 1,085.
TIER IV and Isuzu advance autonomous transit with deployment of Level 4 buses powered by NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion
TIER IV and Isuzu Motors announced the deployment of Level 4 autonomous buses leveraging NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion in Isuzu ERGA electric and diesel models, unveiled at NVIDIA GTC…
TIER IV forms capital and business alliance with JR Central to support regional development through rail and autonomous driving integration
TIER IV formed a capital and business alliance with Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central) to develop first- and last-mile autonomous mobility solutions connecting railway…
TIER IV accelerates the deployment of autonomous trucks following completion of Japanese government initiative
TIER IV completed a METI-led initiative developing autonomous trucks with Isuzu and Mitsubishi Fuso, successfully testing on the Shin-Tomei Expressway to address Japan's driver…
Autonomous Bus Trial Launch in Kumamoto City (Update)
Sumitomo Corporation, BOLDLY, TaKuRoo, TIER IV and SMAS partnered on an autonomous bus trial in Kumamoto City using TIER IV Minibus 2.0, delayed from February to March 2025 after…
Robotaxi pilot tests conducted in Tokyo by Tier IV
TIER IV completed robotaxi pilot tests in Odaiba (November 2024) and Nishi-Shinjuku (December 2024), covering 976 km across hundreds of rides with JPN TAXI vehicles equipped with…
TIER IV secures additional 4 Million in Series B funding: Deploying Level 4 autonomous driving systems across Japan
TIER IV extended its Series B round with an additional 4M, bringing total Series B to 32M and overall funding to 43M, earmarked for Level 4 autonomous driving production and…
TIER IV secures additional $54 Million in Series B funding: Deploying Level 4 autonomous driving systems across Japan
TIER IV secured an additional US$54M in Series B funding, bringing total Series B to US$132M and overall funding to US$243M, earmarked for Level 4 autonomous driving system…
Tier IV Raises Over 00 Million in Series A Round
TIER IV raised over 00M in Series A funding led by Sompo Japan Nipponkoa, with participation from Yamaha Motor, KDDI, JAFCO, and Aisan Technology, to commercialize Autoware-based…
Machine-readable surfaces
- Markdown mirror: /companies/tier-iv.md
- RSS feed: /companies/tier-iv/feed.xml
- JSON-LD: embedded in this page’s head
- REST API: /v1/companies/8c8a9f0b-110b-4d16-aad1-20798e85da1b
- Revision history: /companies/tier-iv/history
- Data documentation: /data
- Query this programmatically: Deploy MCP
Video
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#TIERIV #autonomousdriving #Autoware #opensource #AI TIER IV stands at the forefront of deep-tech innovation, pioneering Autoware, open-source software for au
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TIER IV stands at the forefront of deep-tech innovation, pioneering Autoware, open-source software for autonomous driving. With a comprehensive suite of platfor
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Reality vs attention
Tier IV draws attention at the 49th percentile but verifies reality at the 68th percentile among AVs. Hype Gap -19.3, 27th widest among AVs.
Analysis
Safety profile within acceptable range for category. Well-capitalized with $373M raised and recent funding activity. Limited public visibility and press coverage relative to peers.
Signal flags
Dimension breakdown
Verified signal
Attention (reach, not merit)
DEPLOY Intelligence scores are computed from verified registry data: confirmed deployments, disclosed funding rounds, regulatory filings, active job listings, video viewership, and press coverage. Confidence ratings reflect data availability. Scores update nightly.
DEPLOY Indices — verified vs claimed
Last computed: Aug 10, 2026